


curious

by pilongski



Series: humu warriors [3]
Category: Samurai Warriors
Genre: Araki Murashige's rebellion reference, Curiosity, I Will Go Down With This Ship, M/M, children are so innocent, does Kuroda Nagamasa count as OC?, just a little though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2014-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-16 11:06:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2267412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pilongski/pseuds/pilongski
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Children sure are innocent. They tend to ask whatever they want without much care.</p>
<p>"What does love mean?"<br/>"It means when we feel reaaally care about someone to the point that you're willing to do anything for him. Even crazy things. "<br/>"Like you and Father?"</p>
<p>oh, Nagamasa. You prick.</p>
            </blockquote>





	curious

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [kepo](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/71790) by Mochiyo-sama. 



> This fic is originally in Indonesian (posted in my other account on FFn), and I tried to translate it as a part of my practice ... but it turns out quite weird and become 400 words longer--I don't understand why though _(:"3
> 
> Well tell me if there's some grammar mistakes or maybe your thoughts about the story!

"What does love mean?"

Both my father and Uncle Hanbei are frozen in their place. The difference is Uncle Hanbei is too shocked so he throws the parchment and makes an exaggerating astonished face, while father remains poker-face but the report papers that he wrote is smeared by the ink. I don’t understand why these two adults closest to me become excessive like this just because of one question. 

"Ri—right, it may be time for Nagamasa to know things like this, hahaha." Uncle Hanbei laughs bitterly. "After all he’s going to be eleven soon. And he’s going to enter a marriageable age soon—hahaha .... "

"Uncle, give me a break." I roll my eyes. "Answer me, Uncle." 

"Nagamasa, did not I told you not to bother us during working hours?" Father finally speak up. I pout. "You’re no fun." I say. Father just give me an uncomfortable look. I look away and ignore him. Uncle Hanbei is still laughing bitterly. 

"Why suddenly ask something like this?" asked Uncle.

"Just curious." I say. But Uncle Hanbei is still looking at me suspiciously. "Okay, okaaay. Kiyomasa- _nii_ yesterday asked me if I already love someone. Then I say no and Masanori- _nii_ started laughing at me. "  


Uncle Hanbei issued a big sigh. Lady Nene’s “children” sure are very troublesome. 

"So, yeah, about that question—" Uncle Hanbei clears his throat again. His cheeks redden. I don’t know how many times Uncle Hanbei clears his throat today. "Love is a variety of different feelings, circumstances, and attitudes that range from interpersonal affection or pleasure. It can refer to the emotional appeal of the strong—"

"Uncle, please don’t copy paste from wikipedia. I don’t get it. "

"Ahahahaha, I'm sorry. So it’s like this— "Uncle Hanbei put the parchment and invite me to sit on his lap. Yaiy! I really like to sit in Uncle Hanbei’s lap! "Nagamasa, do you see the birds over there?" Uncle points a peach tree that grows outside Uncle Hanbei and Father’s work room. I nod enthusiastically. "What bird is that?" 

"Sparrows." I exclaim. "Sparrows with a very beautiful black color. I like to see them in the morning. Their chirps are so melodious so I always get up early to listen to them. "

"Good, good! You really are a smart boy!" Uncle Hanbei ruffles my hair. "You're a smart and a cute kid! Sometimes I’d like not to believe that you’re Lord Kanbei’s son hahahaha!"

I slightly see Father frowns a little. Uncle Hanbei just give him a meaningful smile. 

"Well, do you know what are they doing?" 

"Um ... that one was giving a worm to the other one." 

"Why would he want to share his worm to the other one when he works so hard to look for it and the other one just sit still?" 

"Because ...." I make a thinking pose. "They are the father and mother?" 

"Yes." Say Uncle. "But do you think there are other reasons?" 

I look at Uncle with a puzzled face. The other reason? What is it? I see those two sparrows again. The large one (the male) is feeding on small one (the female). The female sparrow looks pleased and is flapping its wings. The male one then approaches the nest and swoopes around as if to see something. Vaguely I can see some white thingy inside the nest. Oh I get it! It must be an egg!

"So?" Uncle Hanbei say while interrupting my thoughts. 

"The father wants to see his son," I say, "He did it to keep the mother fed in order to incubate the eggs and see his son hatches." 

"Bravo! Bravo! "Uncle Hanbei applauds. "That's what love is. When you feel reaaally care about someone to the point that you're willing to do anything for him. Even crazy things. "

"Like you and Father?" 

Uncle Hanbei fell and almost hit the table. And this time Father really screwed the report with pen inks. 

"Am I wrong, Uncle?" 

"N-not really." Uncle scratches his neck. "The one like your father and I can also be called love, but in the context of friendship. Not like those two sparrows or what Kiyomasa mean."

"Then what does _it_ mean?" I ask again. It’s okay to ask a lot if you don’t understand right! 

"Well, it’s like your father and mother." Reply Uncle. I frown a little, confused. 

"Father and Mother are rarely seen together." I say, "How do I know if it's love?" 

"The proof is you." Uncle Hanbei flicks my forehead. It hurts! "If they don’t love each other then you won’t exist in this world. Am I correct, Lord Kanbei? "

Father still only reply with a long sigh. Father did not talk very much. Is he annoyed with my questions?

"He’s not bothered, really. Kanbei is just a stiff person. Maybe he was just surprised when you suddenly ask things like this, hahaha." Uncle assures me." Perhaps he was confused because when he was your age he never thought about things like this. "

After that, Uncle is pelted by Father with pen. Uncle is mumbling in pain but Father’s face is still as stoic as ever. Uncle Hanbei then return Father’s pen while still angry. Father just quietly listen and write his parchment. After a while, Father smacks Uncle’s forehead and say that he’d better go back to work rather than get angry like that as he pulls out a stack of documents from the bottom of the table. Uncle Hanbei laughs and teases Father saying that Father is too serious. Father just look away and says that Uncle is too absurd. Uncle Hanbei laughs again and teases him again. 

Looking at them, I become more confused. Are all friends like this? I think Shigekado and I are not like this. 

"Uncle," I call him. Uncle who had been cooling with Father is finally focus on me again. "Uncle and Father are really friends, right?" 

"Of course!" Uncle then embraces Father. "We are even more than that! We are best friends! "

"But Uncle and Father don’t look like friends." 

They both go silent. Did I say something wrong? 

"You don’t look like Kiyomasa- _nii_ , Masanori- _nii_ , and Mitsunari- _nii_." I say. "You are more like ... Lord Hideyoshi and Lady Nene." 

After that Uncle Hanbei immediately bursts into laughter. Whilst Father give me a 'what-nonsense-are-you-talking-about-Nagamasa-it-seems-like-you-need-to-take-a-nap'. 

"Sorry I just—" Uncle laughs again, "I just—" Uncle is really having difficulties to control his laughter now. "I take back what I say. You really are father and son!"

My face is red with embarrassment. I know he’s mocking us now. Father also must have felt the same way. 

"Well, sometimes—" Uncle Hanbei clears his throat, still trying to control his laughter. "There are many different types of friendship. There is a full-of-jokester type like Masanori and the gang, and there is something like me and Kanbei. Nevertheless, all of it are based on love—we love and care about that person so that we are bound to that person despite our different personalities."

I nod. I understand now. "Does it mean Shigekado and I are friends because of love?" 

"Do you love Shigekado?" 

"Of course! Playing with Shigekado is fun! As if I had my own brother," I answer perkily. Uncle Hanbei strokes my hair again with a smile. 

"Then I will entrusted Shigekado to you. He is still small, there is still much left for him to learn. As a brother, I believe you can take good care of him."

"Of course!" I give an okay sign. "I will not let Shigekado face dangerous things!" 

Uncle Hanbei smiles and say thank you. Don’t worry Uncle! I will teach many things and protect Shigekado! 

"Papa?"A sound of a sliding door is heard. The three of us immediately look towards the door. There is a small child who look like Uncle Hanbei rubbing his eyes. Ah, it’s Takenaka Shigekado, my ‘little brother'. "Papa, have you seen Nagamasa- _nii_? I can’t find him .... "

"I'm here!" I wave my hand and approach Shigekado. "Sorry. Did you just wake up? Let’s take a bath, and go to library after it. "

"Can we just plaaaay?” Shigekado pleades. I shake my head. 

"Not before we study. If I don’t go study, Father will be upset. If Father get upset, Uncle Hanbei will feel bothered. If Uncle Hanbei get bothered too much he will get sick. Do you want Uncle Hanbei to get sick? "

Shigekado shakes his head quickly. "Okay then ...." he says resignedly. I then carry Shigekado out and ask for an excuse. Father and Uncle Hanbei okayed and say see you later in the evening.

But I didn’t leave straight after that. I told Shigekado to go to the bathroom first. I still want to peek on Father and Uncle. I see my father is talking with Uncle. Faintly I could hear their voices. 

"You’re telling weird things again to Nagamasa." Father moans. Uncle laughs softly and sit cross-legged in front of Dad. 

"It’s not weird," Uncle casually sleeps in Father’s thigh. I got surprised, because Father doesn’t react much at all. “Was I wrong?" 

"Not really." Father replies, still focusing on the documents. "It’s just—" 

"It’s just?" 

"No. Forget it." Father goes back on his writing. Uncle Hanbei sighs softly and plays with his fingers randomly in the air, before finally touching Father’s pale cheek. 

"I think," he says. His hand stroking Father’s cheek. "I lied a little to Nagamasa." 

I’m shocked. Really? Which part? 

"I guess I don’t consider you as a friend." Uncle adds, "You're more than that." 

They pause for a moment. Uncle and Father are both exchanging glances. Glances full of something that I don’t understand. Uncle then re-open his mouth. "For all I know, that time, I know I could not let you die just like that. You're the only person who could understand me. I don’t know what will happen if you’re gone. Lady Nene probably will cry, and her ‘children’ will try to calm her down. Hideyoshi is also probably going to cry too, but not in front of people. While I—I don’t know. Maybe I will be confused, not knowing how to tell your son. Maybe I will feel sad, and devastated. Maybe I—"

"I understand." Father strokes Uncle Hanbei’s hair. "I understand, Hanbei." 

"Of course you understand." Says Uncle, "You must have already understand what I’m saying since five sentences ago." 

Father then grabs Uncle’s hand and kisses his palm. He whispers, "You've worked hard, Hanbei."

"Of course! I worked sooo hard until I got sick!" says Uncle while chuckling. "You’d better have a surprise for me after all of that!" 

My pupils are dilated by the view. Father is smiling! What's more, he’s laughing! 

I'm totally amazed. Father is totally different in front of Uncle. 

I got fascinated by that. I knew there was something strange! They don’t act like Masanori- _nii_ and his friends. They are much more ... complex. When they looked at each other, there is something talking there. When they stare at each other— 

—there’s love talking there. 

I'm 100% sure with my observations. The way Father look at Mother is different with the way Father look at Uncle. When Father looked at Uncle his eyes are more ... comforting. So does Uncle. Their stares are full of meaning, full of raison d’etre. I guess Uncle Hideyoshi wasn’t kidding when he told me about the reasons behind the change of their name.  


_"They were like ... How do you say it. It's hard to explain. Clearly they have their own world that we don’t understand what it means."_

"Kanbei," Uncle calls on Father, "I—" 

"Yes," Father intterupts. Uncle immediately smiles. "Right." Adds Uncle again. "Yeah—you get my point." 

"Yes." Replied Father again. "Yes, me too." 

"Hmmm." 

After that I turn away, leaving them both on their privacy. I have a feeling that I shouldn’t know more than this.  


When I got to the shower room, Shigekado was angry at me for making him wait for too long. But I didn’t listen. My mind was still mesmerizing. I finally find the answer to my own question. 

I finally understand why Uncle Hanbei worked very hard to release my father from charges of traitors until he neglects his own sickness. 

I finally understand why my father was willing to get up all night just to keep an eye on Uncle who vomited blood. 

I finally understand why Father’s tone when he talks to other people (so stern, rigid, and straight to the point) is different from his tone while talking to Uncle Hanbei (soft, still rigid but different). 

I finally understand—

—what is the meaning of love intended by Kiyomasa- _nii_.

_—FIN_

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Samurai Warriors belongs to Tecmo KOEI


End file.
